Cable-tightener



A. BARNES.

CABLE TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE14, 1920.

1,889,475. I Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

5 wvewtoz A. Bar/zes- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

ANSLEY BARNES, or'warnnvmnn, MAINE. f

CABLE-TIGHTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 14, 1920. Serial No. 388,879.

- To all whom it may concern:

vention willbe apparent during the course packing.

Be it known that I, AN'SLEY BARNES, a citizen otthe United States residing at Waterville, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Gable-Tighteners; and

I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cable tighteners broadly, and more specifically to a device of this class which is especially designed for stretching guy wires of telegraph and telephone poles, fence wires, and the like.

*One object of the inventionis to generally r improve upon, simplify, strengthen, and re duce the cost of manufacture of my Patent No. 1,143,4r8'3 granted tome on June1'5, 1915.

Another and important object of the invention is to improve upon my patented device by making the rack bar solid and omitting the guide slot, and to equip the bar at one end with a shoulder against which the fulcrum block of the wire link carrying arm abuts, permitting said'arm to be swung to such an angular position that, when ts free end is moved downwardly toward said bar,

the initial slack in the wire will be taken up.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the present device that the :parts may be more readily disconnected and placed in a compact package for shipping and Other objects and advantages of the inof the following description.

In the accompanying drawings form ng a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to; designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is an elevational View of a tool constructed in accordance with my invention. v

F ig. 2 is an enlarged elevational View,

with parts in'sectionssh-owing the pivoted toothed arm in the angular position it assumes in order to take up the initial slack.

Fig. is a top plan View thereof.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodimen-t ofmy invention, the numeral 1 designates :a rack bar which isprovided at one end with-means for permitting attachment of the wire to be stretched. This 'means may be of any suitable'constr-uction, being here shown in the form of a swiveled hook 2.

iPi-votally and slidably mounted on the bar 1 1s a second bar or arm 3 which carries a l nk or clevis 4;, by means of which the tool 1s anchored upon a stationary support. The bar 8 may be connected to the bar 1 in any Patented Aug. 30,; 11921..

suitable way. However, by preference, I

equip itwith a pair-of ears 5 which straddle the bar 1 and permit the aforesaid to slidng and pivotal movement. To complete.

this connection I dispose af'ulerum block 6 between the free ends of the ears and this block slides on the lower edge of the bar 1. To look the bar- 3 in the various positions to Which-it has been moved, I make use of a dog which is preferably carried thereby and 1s engageable with the teeth 8 of the bar 1, the dog being retained in either ct accomplish this I extend a pinl2 transversely through the furcations of the lever, this pin being designed to seat'between the teeth 13 along the adjacent edge of the bar Up to thispoint, the --constructi0n described is substantially the same as that disclosed in my patent with the exception of the swiveled hook 2 and fulcrum block 6 whichare two of the new features of the present device.

One of the main differences between the present device and my patented device resides in the :fact that-in the present device, I provide the har 1 adjacent one end and on its opposite sides with a pair of shoulders 14 and 15., the first named of whiehis designed to be engaged bythe adjacent end of the bar 53., while the latter is designed to;

coact with the fulcrum block 6.. This :particular construction and arrangement of parts permits the bar .3 to bemoved to and held in the angular position shown in Fig.

2. With the parts in this position and as-' suming that the wire has been connected to the hook '2 and the link 4 anchored on a post or the like, it will be seen that by forcing the free end of this bar downwardly, the

initial slack in the wire will be partially taken up prior to any sliding movement of the bar, which brings about the final tightening of the wire. It is also the purpose of this construction to prevent the bar 3 from becoming accidentally disconnected from the bar 1. Furthermore, I prefer to use this construction because it is less expensive, more simple, and enables me to easily and readily disconnect the parts for placing the device in a compact package for shipment. It will be recalled that in my patented device the bar 1 instead of being constructed in the manner herein shown and described is equipped with a slot in which a stop pin slides, the latter being a part ofthe link carrying bar. I have found upon constant use of the device constructed in that manner, that it is not entirely effective and desirable. For this reason I prefer the construction disclosed in the present application because of the fact that it possesses features already set forth which my patented devlce does notpossess.

In operation, the cable, wire or other element to be stretched is connected directly or by means of grip devices of well known construction with the hook 2 which, as before stated, isswiveled to permit free rotation of the cable which ordinarily turns when under tension and is liable to break the hook if it was stationary. Next, the link or clevis 4i is secured to asuitable stationary support in any desired manner. Assuming that the bar 3 and lever 11 are in the position disclosed in Fig. 2, it will be seen that the initial slack may be taken up in the way already described. Now, afterthe parts are placed in the position shown in Fig. 1 and by rocking the lever, the member 3 will be moved along the bar 1 and in so doing will place the cable under tension. As the cable is so stretched, the dog 7 is automatically engaged with the teeth 8 of the bar 1, thus, the bar 3 is retained in the position to which it has been moved by the action of the operating lever, as is obvious. After the cable has been tightened sufficiently, it may be secured in position in the usual way.

I desire to call attention to the fact that the construction employed-in this device is far more simple and a great deal more advantageous than that disclosed in my patented device. For instance, if it is desired to disconnect the parts of the device, all that is necessary to do is to remove the bolt which connects the operating'lever with the bar 1.

Then, this bar may be slid from right to left between the ears 5, and readily removed. It may be just as easily replaced. This feature is not true with the construction em- I ployed in my patented device. Due to this easy and simple method of disconnecting the parts, it will be seenthat the device may be conveniently packed. The swiveled 1100K,

employed in this device is advantageous, and the dog with the finger grip, is also advantageous. These, and other points of difference already apparent from the foregoing description render the present device more device withwhich I am familiar.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings will enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, to obtain a clear understanding of the same, therefore, further description is deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred form of the same, and that various minor changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim: 1 r

1 A tool of the class described comprising a rack bar provided with means for connection to the wire to be stretched, being also provided at one end with a shoulder, an arm pivotally and slidably mounted on the bar and engageable at its pivoted end with said shoulder to permit initial slack in the wire to be partially taken upwhen the arm is swung downwardly on its pivot, means for sliding said arm on the bar, and a pawl carried by the arm and engageable with the teeth on said rack bar.

2. A tool of the class described comprising a rack bar having one of its ends laterally offset, made at this end with a pair of lateral projections forming shoulders, an arm'pivotally and slidably mounted on said bar'and having its pivoted end 'engageable with one of the shoulders,'said arm'being provided at its pivoted end with a bifurcated head, the furcations forming ears straddling said bar and extending below the lower edge thereof, afulcrumblock ivoted between said ears andslidably engagmg' the adjacent lower edge of the bar, said block being engageable with the remaining shoulder to limit the movement of the arm in one direction, a spring-pressed .dog also pivoted between said ears and extending beyond the adjacent end of said arm and being engageable with the teeth on said rack bar, and means for imparting a sliding movement to said arm. i

3. A tool 'of the class describedcomprising a rack bar laterally offset at one end and provided 'at this end with a pair of shoul-' tween the free ends of said ears and slid ably engaging the lower edge of said bar, being also adapted to engage the remaining shoulder to limit the movement of the arm in one direction, a spring-pressed dog pivoted between the inner ends of the ears and extending beyond the adjacent end of said arm, being engageable with the teeth of 10 said rack bar, a hand-actuated operating lever pivoted on said bar and including means engageable with the teeth on said arm for imparting a sliding movement to the latter.

. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set In hand.

y ANSLEY BARNES. 

